


Fire of the Heart

by mightbeababygay



Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: Angst, Bonfire Night, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Too much fluff, angst isn't that bad, cuteness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-05
Updated: 2019-11-05
Packaged: 2021-01-23 17:29:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21323962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mightbeababygay/pseuds/mightbeababygay
Summary: It's bonfire night and the five of them are going out, together as a family unit. Except, people can't stop reminding Ben not to fuck everything up.
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Comments: 7
Kudos: 163





	Fire of the Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! Just a small one shot with a bit of angst and a lottt of fluff, happy bonfire night!
> 
> Not Beta'd - all mistakes are my own.
> 
> Let me know what you think - twitter/Tumblr @mightbeababygay

Ben shivered as he stepped out of the house. He’d never been good with the cold. Nearly every bonfire night he could remember ended up with him leaving before the fireworks. He’d never seen the point in being that cold for the five minute display. 

Plus, he was never good at waiting. 

But this year, he had a plan. He’d managed to borrow (steal) one of Callum’s jumpers the night before, after sleeping over, in an attempt to keep warm.

So, armed with his own long t-shirt, Callum’s jumper (which was way too big for him - not that he minded) and a coat, Lexi swinging on his arm in excitement, he made his way to the park for the firework display. 

“Dad?” Lexi asked on their walk, dragging out the vowel.

“Yes?” He mimicked her. 

“Is Callum coming with us?” She asked curiously, swiping at the hair covering her face with her glove-covered hand as a cold gust of wind struck them. 

“He’s meeting us there, Princess.”

It wasn’t unusual for Lexi to be asking about Callum. Since the two of them met, a month or so ago, they were inseparable. Lexi had asked for him at any chance when she felt that Callum should be there - walking to school, breakfast at the cafe, playing at the park. It was adorable as much as it was terrifying. 

The idea that Lexi was this invested in Callum scared him. He knew there’d be a day where he’d fuck it up between himself and Callum - whether it be his own stupid mistake, or Callum realising he wasn’t worth it, that there was better out there than the messed-up man he was currently with. And, then he’d be left explaining that to his little girl which would most definitely break his heart. 

It’d break both their hearts. 

And, it’d all be his fault. 

Clearing his throat, he pushed those thoughts out of his mind to freak out about another night. This wasn’t the time for it.

“And mummy and Jay? They’ll be there, too?” 

“Of course.” Ben promised, pressing a kiss to the top of her head over her woolly hat. “All of us.”

It wasn’t long before they’d arrived at the park, Lexi humming along to a song from one of her Disney shows to fill the comfortable silence whilst Ben fretted over her, pulling her bobble hat down every time it rode up so she didn’t get cold. 

“Callum!” Lexi exclaimed, pulling her hand out of Ben’s to run over to aforementioned man, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.

“Hey, you alright?” Callum asked the little girl, rubbing his hand across her back. “Keeping warm?”

“I’m fine.” Lexi huffed. “I’m a big girl now, Callum. I’m in year three.” 

“I know.” Callum agreed in earnest. “But being cold is a big girl thing, too. Just ask your dad.” He smirked over at the shorter man. 

“I ain’t cold.” Ben muttered out the lie, stepping on his toes to press a kiss to Callum’s cheek, cold nose pressing against it. 

“Course you ain’t.” Callum raised his eyebrows as he saw the familiar sleeves of his jumper that he’d spent the last hour looking for, peeking out of Ben’s coat. “New jumper?”

“Mhm.” Ben agreed, the pair of them taking one of Lexi’s hands to walk her through the crowd. “Bagged myself a new boyfriend, ain’t I?”

“Have you now? What’s he like, then?” 

“Oh, you know me, I only keep them around for one thing.” Ben winked across at Callum. 

“Dad! Can we go on the spinning tea cups?” Lexi begged, already dragging them in the direction of the ride. 

“Not right now, baby. Maybe when your mum comes, yeah?” Ben grimaced at the idea of going on the ride. It wasn’t that he wanted to disappoint his daughter, he just didn’t have the stomach for spinning teacups. He’d never been good with things like that. 

“I’ll take her, if you want?” Callum offered, eyes locked with Ben’s in question even as Lexi began jumping up and doing in excitement. 

“You don’t have to do that.” Ben told him carefully. He didn’t want Callum to feel as though he had to spend the whole night playing family with Ben and Lexi. He should be able to do what he wanted to.

“I want to.” Callum promised, resting his hands on Lexi’s shoulders to give them a gentle squeeze. “If that’s alright with you, Lex?”

“Yes, yes, c’mon Callum.” Lexi grinned widely, grabbing Callum by the wrist and dragging him off towards the queue. 

Ben couldn’t help but smile fondly as he watched the two walked off, himself trailing behind them. 

Stopping at the pick-a-mix stool, Ben brough the three of them their own bags each, stuffing Lexi’s into his pocket so she wouldn’t eat them all at once. He definitely didn’t need her being sick from eating too many at once - Lola would kill him. 

Munching away at the sweets, he looked around the park. It was weird to just be able to be, not having to worry about anything else for one night. No Martin drama. No Sharon drama. Just him and his real family.

“You been dumped already?” Jay nudged him with his elbow as he and Lola turned up, both bundled up in their own hats and coats. 

“Yeah and he decided to take my daughter with him.” Ben rolled his eyes. He knew that, whilst Jay was just joking, everyone thought he didn’t deserve Callum - which they were right about, but it didn’t stop the sting in his heart every time someone mentioned it. 

“Where are they?” Lola jumped in, reaching into his bag of sweets to steal a strawberry lace. 

“Lex wanted to go on the spinning tea cups. Callum agreed to take her instead of waiting for your lazy arses.” Ben rolled his eyes, snatching his bag back for himself. 

“He’s good with her.” Lola mentioned, the three of them stood there, watching as Callum clambered into the tiny teacup before helping Lexi into the seat next to him, making sure the safety barrier was down properly. 

Ben nodded his head. He couldn’t help but hear the warning tone of Lola’s voice - don’t fuck it up. “I know.” He mumbled, biting his tongue at what he really wanted to say. Whilst he had the same thoughts and worries as everyone else, it got real annoying real fast at how much they were shoving it down his throat. 

What they didn’t understand is just how much power Callum had over Ben. 

How easily he’d be able to break him.

“Mummy! Jay! Your turn!” Lexi shouted as she came running over to the trio, dizziness not affecting her in the slightest as she grabbed at the two of them to pull them back into the line for the teacups. 

“Hey, you.” Callum smiled down at his boyfriend, cupping the back of his head to press a lingering kiss to his lips.   
Ben hummed happily at Callum’s lips, pecking them once, twice more before Callum pulled away. 

“You alright? You seem quiet.” Callum frowned. “You’d have made at least three sex jokes by now, usually.”

“Thought you wanted me to be serious?” Shrugging, Ben took a step closer to Callum in a futile attempt to steal his body warmth. “Or d’you want me to mention what happened the last time we were here in the park at night?”

Callum’s frown deepened as he stared at Ben, trying to work out what had happened since him and Lexi had been gone. “I just want you to tell me what’s up.” He sighed softly.

“I’m fine, Callum.” Ben told him with an eye roll. “I’m just cold, that’s all.” He added on after seeing the look on Callum’s face. 

Wrapping his arms around Ben’s shoulders, he brought the shorter man into his chest, hugging him tightly. Even if Ben wouldn’t tell him, at least this’d give him some form of comfort, Callum hoped. 

Ben pressed his face into Callum’s shoulder, squeezing his eyes shut tightly as they welled up. It was stupid, how it was all getting to him this evening. He didn’t even know why. He was just tired of everyone doubting him all the time. Callum was the only one that believed in him, in them. 

‘I love you.’ Ben thought, fisting at Callum’s jacket as the older man comfortingly rubbed over his back. 

And that. That was the problem. The fact that he’d somehow managed to set himself up for the inevitable heartbreak. One that he’d never, ever, be able to get up from. Losing Paul was- indescribable. Callum taught him that maybe he’d be okay, that he was worth being loved again. If he lost Callum...there’d be nothing for him anymore.

The fact that he’d somehow gotten to this again, terrified him. If he wasn’t already this invested, he’d run for the hills. It was what he should’ve done the first time he realised how much he felt for Callum. 

But now it was too late. He was too far in. 

“Ben?” Callum whispered carefully, shaking him out of his thoughts. “Talk to me, what’s going on? Are you in trouble?”

“I’m fine,” Ben reiterated, pulling back and wiping at his eyes. “Just the cold. You wanna go round the corner for a quick fumble, warm me up?”

Callum didn’t answer but continued to stare at Ben as if he could work out what was going on with just sheer will power. 

It carried on like that for most of the night, Callum continuously asking him what was wrong at every chance he got, the rest of the time he just stared at him in concern. 

“Listen.” Callum started, grabbing Ben by the wrist and dragging them away from everyone else, into a more secluded area.

“Taking me up on my offer, then?” Ben smirked, letting himself be pulled away.

“What? No.” Callum shook his head, sitting Ben down on the park bench off in a dark corner. He sat down next to Ben, gripping onto his hands in his own. “Whatever is going on, it doesn’t matter.”

“Callum, I told you, it’s nothin’.” Ben sighed, pulling his hands out of Callum’s.

“It ain’t nothing, Ben. You’ve been quiet all night. I want to know what’s wrong.”

“Maybe it’s you and your continued pestering.” Ben snapped, watching Callum flinch in response. “Sorry.” He whispered, tucking the sleeves of Callum’s jumper over his knuckles. “Shouldn’t have snapped like that.”

Callum shuffled closer to Ben, resting his hand back on top of Ben’s. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been bothering you about it all night, you’ll tell me eventually if it was important. I just worry about you. I really care ‘bout you.”

“I know.” Ben nodded, looking up across at Callum. 

“I don’t think you do, though.” Callum sighed sadly, brushing away a tear from under Ben’s eye with his knuckle. 

Ben had to look away once more, the raw emotion too much for him. “I know you care. You care about everyone. You’re good like that.”

“No, Ben. Not like that.” Callum took Ben’s chin in his hand, turning his head to look at him. “Not like that because I love you.”

“Wait, what?” Ben whispered, blinking in shock. “You love - me?”

“Yes. And before you start with the bullshit of how you’re not good and you shouldn’t be loved, I don’t care about it, okay? Because you do deserve to be loved. Now, will you please tell me what’s wrong?”

“I love you.” Ben whispered into the night.

Callum dropped his hands from Ben’s face, frown on his face. “What’s - wrong with that?” He asked carefully trying not to show the hurt he was feeling. 

“No, no nothing.” Ben shook his head, moving back into Callum’s personal space. “It’s everyone else, that’s what’s wrong. They all think I’m gonna fuck this up. I probably am. But I don’t need them shoving it down my throat as a constant reminder.”

Callum’s shoulders dropped in relief. He pulled Ben into his chest, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “Fuck them. It ain’t there relationship to get involved in. This is ours, Ben.”

Ben couldn’t help but smile. He knew whatever worries he had, Callum had his fair share of them two. And he was right. This was theirs and they’d get through anything. 

Together.


End file.
